About the Opportunity

Reporting director to the Mental Health & Addictions Site Lead, Department of Mental Health & Addictions and indirectly to the Zone Medical Executive Director, Eastern Zone, Clinical Assistants in Psychiatry are licensed physicians employed by Nova Scotia Health to provide clinical care within the Department of Psychiatry at the Cape Breton site of the Eastern Zone. There is also a reporting relationship with the Mental Health & Addictions Manager (transactional management). Participation in the call schedule is required and work will be in the Emergency Department, Inpatient Mental Health Units, or other areas of service as clinical need and supervisory requirements dictate.

Clinical Assisants help with the provision of care under the supervision of a fully licensed physician on the active staff of the institution who is directly responsible for the care provided by the clinical assistants. A clinical assistant is not an independent practitioner, but acts in the role of physician extender in the hospital environment.

Responsibilites for Inpatient Care
Under the supervision of an attending staff physician, the Clinical Assistant functions as a member of the team on the Psychiatry service at the level of a PGY1 or PGY2. They make regular rounds with supervising staff and liaises with nurses, attending staff, crisis workers and other members of the multi-disciplinary team in the development and management of the overall patient care plan.

The Clinical Assistant communicates with patients, families, referring and family physicians concerning patient management plans; performs and documents admission history and mental status examinations, progress notes, discharge summaries, consultation notes, reports for the IPTA Review Board hearings, etc.; manages the day-to-day care of patients, including writing medical orders on charts and responding to emergencies, in consultation with attending staff; and performs assessments and examinations within the scope of their demonstrated competence and privileges and according to established policies or protocols. These may include: MMSE, MOCA, HAM-D, suicide risk assessments, evaluating competence & capacity.

About You

We would love to hear from you if you have the following:

• Must meet the requirements to obtain a Clinical Assistant License from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia
  • Graduate from a medical university or school that meets criteria approved by the Council of the College
  • Meet Section 49 of the Medical Practitioners Regulations requirements
  • Two (2) years of postgraduate training and one (1) year of licensed practice experience, or one (1) year of postgraduate training and two (2) years of licensed practice experience
  • Recent practice experience and training completed within the last five (5) years
  • Meet English Language Proficiency standards of the College
  • Valid work permit, permanent resident status or Canadian citizenship
  • Have the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination - Part I and have a 'pass' standing in either the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination - Part II, or the National Assessment Collaboration Objective Structured Clinical Examination
• All potential candidates for clinical assistant positions must have their credentials assessed and approved by the Registration & Licensing Department of the College prior to accepting job offers from Nova Scotia Health.
• Must obtain Clinical Assistant privileges in the Eastern Zone through the Credentials Committee
• CMPA coverage required. ACLS certification is not required
• For all clinical assistants in adult medicine, ACLS must have been passed by the end of the probationary period
• Must be able to promote and maintain good interpersonal skills
• Must be able to work well on an interdisciplinary team
• Flexibility and a willingness to learn are essential

Please ensure your resume is up to date and includes all relevant education, experience, training, and certifications.

Hours

• Permanent Full Time position; 75 Hours Bi Weekly

Compensation and Incentives

$49.91 - $63.57 Hourly

Successful candidates may be eligible for our benefits package which includes health, dental, travel, long-term disability, and life insurance coverage as well as a defined benefit pension plan. (Permanent Long Assignments Only)

Successful candidates may also be eligible for a signing bonus and relocation assistance with a defined Return of Service contract.